


our promise

by dj_saturn



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Bare with me on the tags, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Never done this before
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29988633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dj_saturn/pseuds/dj_saturn
Summary: What if Sunny's battle with Omori never ended? What if someone needed to help him get out?Tags, name, and summary are all subject to change.
Relationships: Aubrey & Basil & Hero & Kel & Sunny (OMORI), Basil/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 145





	1. a single, white egret orchid

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind this is my first fic ever. Feel free to leave scathing critiques in the comments.

Omori did not succumb.

Once more, they dueled. The overarching sounds of violin, metal, and eldritch horror screeched through the void of the White Space, returning like echoes even louder than before, even if there was nothing to reflect off of. Then, the endless cacophony came to a brief respite.

_ cccRUNCH _

Sunny struck with a perfect allegro, causing Omori to stagger, falling to the ground once more. Both were covered in endless bruises, cuts, and gashes. Neither was panting, however.

_ Omori did not succumb. _

He huffed, returning to his position, ready to fight against Omori once again. He will not waiver. He _will_ regain control. _He will not die._ _Not here. Not now._

Omori, on the other hand, was surprised at his counterpart’s ability to persevere. His expression had barely changed, but Sunny’s eyes held a glint of determination. That endless will to never give up. Both of them knew they were getting nowhere. The injuries on them were superficial due to them being in White Space. It didn’t matter. Not really. It was all in the mind’s eye after all.

Sunny took the moment to take it in. To just…  _ see.  _ Calling it “White Space” would be inappropriate at this rate. Every time he struck down Omori, this plane of existence became bloodier. Red.

Vestiges of Something crawled up Sunny’s spine.  _ What was happening in the real world? How long have they been fighting? _

_ SLASH _ _  
  
_

_ Omori  _ **_will not_ ** _ succumb. _

_  
_ More hands sprung from the ground around Omori’s feet, poised to strike. _  
  
_

How long… Weeks? Months? It didn’t matter in White Space. 

Sunny gasped. In a lapse of concentration, the bow in his hand slipped from his fingers, giving Omori an opportunity. He dashed forward. Panicked, Sunny tried to eva--!

_ SQUELCH _

The hand seemingly phased through him. The massive, dark-red hand caused immeasurable amounts of pain. The sound was awful, like a thick spear piercing flesh. Sunny screamed in agony. It felt like he was being ripped apart. The hand suddenly retracted, jerking Sunny forward as he fell to the ground, writhing.

Sunny, on the floor, tilted his head to glance at Omori. His counterpart’s attacks had stopped momentarily, his eyes dark pits of nothing, staring uncaringly. Sunny took a deep breath and stood, resuming his piece. 

Sunny closed his eyes and remembered to CALM DOWN and CHERISH his friends’ wishes.   
  
_ Sunny will not succumb. _

Undeterred, he picked up his bow, and Sunny began to play once more.

They dueled.

Again.

And again.

_ And again. _

* * *

“We’re sorry, but… frankly, there’s nothing more we can do.”   
  


“...I’ll leave you to process.”

Aubrey gave one final glare before scoffing, folding her arms and tilting her head down, crestfallen. Kel couldn’t blame her, and neither could Hero. It  _ seemed  _ possible but highly unlikely.

Sunny was in a coma. 

None of them nor the doctors knew why for certain. Though, many of them who examined Sunny speculated it was a combination of new trauma, severe malnourishment, and the loss of an eye. That, along with the other health concerns of being self-isolated for four years all contributed to a simple, horrifying fact. Sunny was in a coma.   
  
And there’s nothing they could do about it.

Suffice it to say, Sunny’s move was stalled.

The little victories.

“...I hate this,” Hero said in a quiet voice. It was so quiet, almost no one heard him.

Basil, Kel, and Aubrey, dazed from the doctor’s report, broke their trance and turned to look at Hero.

“I hate this,” he said louder. “I  _ hate this so fucking much,”  _ he enunciated further. His teeth clenched.

Kel hissed almost inaudibly through his mouth. Hero swearing was never a good sign.

“It’s just--,” Hero exclaimed, before cutting himself off. He took both of his hands and cupped his face before wringing his hands through his hair, combing it. “It feels like I’ve lost Mari  _ again. _ ”

Kel and Aubrey had their full attention on Hero now. Their gazes were tight and full of sadness. Basil closed his eyes and turned away, guilty. No one knew. Not yet.

Hero leaned on his neck, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes were glassy, threatening tears. “Basil...Kel...Aubrey,” He looked at them, his eyes burning like a kicked puppy. Pure childhood innocence. “Why does this keep happening to us? What did we ever do?” Basil grasped the sheets in a vice-grip.

Basil was only half-listening to Hero’s lament. On the inside, he was at war. This was all  _ his  _ fault! Why? Why did he have to come up with that  _ stupid plan! _ Basil closed his eyes, his hands gripping the sides of his head.  _ We didn’t even know if she was dead at the base of the stairs,  _ he thought.  _ She could’ve been fine if we just  _ **_acted--._ **

**_And now. It’s all his fault. All of this._ **

All of this anguish. Sunny’s coma. Hero’s grief. Aubrey’s descension.  _ Your fault. Your fault. Your fault--. _

_ Your. _

_ Fault. _

Basil let out a gasp, openly sobbing.

“Basil?” 

“Hey! Basil?! You okay?”

“...”

  
“I…”

“I-I…!”

The ‘I have to tell you something’ was on the tip of his tongue. So close to being out in the open. So close to  _ admitting.  _

But he shut his mouth, ashamed. “...nevermind,” he said timidly.

“Don't give me that shit,” Aubrey snapped. “You--,” she let out a sigh, her face not softening, but retreating to a neutral tone. “It’s okay to cry. We don’t know if Sunny will wake up, but that doesn’t mean we’re gonna fall apart.” Kel, who had been uncharacteristically silent, finally spoke up.

“She’s right,” he echoed. “Sunny’s not  _ dead _ you guys… he’s gonna be okay. Everything is going to be okay.” Kel sounded assured of himself. As if, there wasn’t any alternative. Kel said so, so it must be true. For a moment, Basil almost believed him.

Their words were all for naught, however. As kind as the words were, Basil’s head was swimming with dread and fear. It meant nothing to him. None of those words would matter if they found out what happened. After his and Sunny’s skirmish the previous night, he realized something important. It was never was Something that pushed Mari. It was Sunny. Always. 

The thought horrified him. He and Sunny had always been each other’s closest friend, despite the tightly-knit group they had.  _ Well, not for much longer,  _ Basil thought. Kel’s usage of Basil’s signature line made him fall even deeper into guilt. Just another reminder that everything and  _ everyone  _ are certainly  _ not  _ ok.

It didn’t matter anyway. It’s not like he could say anything pertaining to Sunny or Something. So he said the only thing he could.

“... ok .”

Hero gave Basil a tiny smile, and patted the bed, motioning Aubrey and Kel to sit near the bedside with the spare chairs. Hero took Aubrey’s hand in his left, and Basil’s in his right. The others followed. Soon, they were sitting in a full circle, hand-in-hand, being there for each other. For the rest of visiting hours, they gave each other quiet assurances. They discussed what to do next, despite how few options they had.

Late morning turned afternoon, the afternoon turned evening. It was almost time to go. The sun was setting on the horizon. Yellows, oranges, and reds mixed together and scattered into a vibrant waveform. The sky was dashed with new hope and a hope for a better tomorrow.

* * *

He was starting to ache.

Sunny didn’t know when it started or how. The passage of time is hard to follow in White Space, after all. All he knew is that he was starting to ache. It was tiny, minuscule even. It was certainly nothing to worry about for the time being. What made it so startling was the fact it was  _ there  _ at all. He was in Headspace. He wasn’t  _ supposed  _ to ache like this. Despite it though, a horrible, real-life throb spliced across his entire body. And yet, it was there, threatening.

Sunny didn’t want to admit it to himself, but his will was starting to creak and bend. His thoughts flared with conflicting solutions and voices.  _ Persist. Persist. Persist. Give up. You’re use-- NO! Persist. Or You’ll die. Keep going.  _ **_Don’t Succumb. Give up, it’ll be easier. Just close your eyes and leave this dream._ **

With a voracious attack, Sunny once again struck Omori down, the bow of his now-mended violin soaked with blood. Sunny flicked his wrist, the blood splattering to the floor, disappearing into nothing. Annoyed at the oppressiveness of it all, Sunny  _ t’ched  _ before resuming the battle, poised to end it soon.

It was getting quite annoying actually: the repetition. Strike down Omori. Omori will not succumb. Omori strikes Sunny down. Sunny will not succumb. Over and  _ over  _ again. Sunny knew confronting his alter-ego was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. 

He just never expected it to end up like  _ this _ .

He hated to admit it. But at this rate…

At this rate…

Omori might  _ win. _

If that happens… if Sunny succumbs…   
  
It’ll be all over.

He… He won’t let that happen. He knows that now. They  _ deserve  _ to know.

... 

Could he--?!

Before he could finish the thought, Omori dashed at Sunny’s open midsection, the knife glaring red with power and malice. Sunny turned at the last possible moment, the cutting tool gashing his side not unlike how he attacked Aubrey on the first day. Sunny retaliated, knocking Omori away, dazing him momentarily.

He needed help. But… he couldn’t get it? He was in White Space. There wasn’t any way to contact someone. As far as he was aware, his body was still unconscious, probably at a hospital or his own bedroom if Sunny had to guess.

Could he somehow reach out to Mari? She was able to come to him in his dreams before… But before he was wracked with regret and guilt. It could be possible but-- no. It wouldn’t work. Omori was here. His interference won’t allow Mari to enter White Space. Her form is already intangible as it is.

It has to be someone  _ outside  _ of Headspace entirely. Someone in the real world. It had to be someone close to him. Someone who understood. 

Sunny’s head was running in circles. He hoped, nay,  _ begged  _ for someone to help. He wasn’t sure if he could win anymore…

Someone heard.

* * *

Basil was discharged a day later, not suffering nearly as severe wounds as Sunny. Honestly, he was grateful. He felt like he was going to suffocate in that hospital. Even when Hero, Kel, and Aubrey stayed company with him for a majority of the 36 hours he was utterly exhausted mentally.

The hospital was too clean for Basil’s taste. He’d rather be outside, digging through mud and soil, caring for his flowers. He wanted to get  _ out  _ and take in nature’s aroma. He wanted to go out and just think for a while. 

“Polly?” Basil’s voice cut through the thick silence of the house, the sound reverberating like an echo chamber.

Polly turned to where Basil was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his camera. “Yes, dear? Are you alright? Something acting up?”

Heh. She really was too sweet for her own good. 

“N-No no,” Basil stuttered out. “I just wanted to say… I’m going to visit Sunny’s house for a while. I’ll be back… later.”

The message was clear.  _ I’m going to visit the tree. I’ll be gone for the whole day.  _

“...” Polly analyzed Basil’s face, her expression not betraying any thought. “Take as much time as you need. Okay?”

“Hm. Okay.”

Basil shuffled to the door, grabbing the now worn and torn water-proof coat. It was still the same one from four years ago. Quaint. 

It was exhilarating to go outside and just  _ take in  _ everything. 

Basil was really scared. He didn’t know what to do anymore. The moment he was out of sight of the house, he ran. He ran and ran. He didn’t stop until he reached Sunny’s home. The rain was blisteringly cold, but Basil didn’t care. Not much to feel anymore. Not much to care for.

  
He stepped inside the conveniently unlocked door and made his way over to the sliding door. He put his hand on the handle and-- stopped.

_ What the hell am I doing? I can’t. I can’t do this. Something is out there. Something is watching. I don’t-- I can’t! I don’t know what to do!  _

_ … _

_ I wish Sunny was here. _

BASIL is AFRAID.

But then… a shift. A faint ripple in reality. Was it Something? Playing a trick on him? Almost instinctively, he thought of Mari for some odd reason. Her warm smile, her cookies, her words.

_ Calm down. It’s not as scary as you think… _

_ God,  _ it’s like she was right there… whispering reassurances... 

Basil remembered how to CALM DOWN.

He opened the sliding door--.

Bile threatened to pour. He turned, slamming his hand into the outside of the house, trying to acquire steadiness. He failed. 

Basil collapsed, hand over his mouth, the other to the ground, trying to keep himself from falling into the now-muddy backyard. 

_ You shouldn’t have looked back, Sunny _ .

Basil couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but eventually, he readied himself and turned to face the music. Step by step, inch by inch, Basil forced himself forward to the base of the stump.

Once he was a few feet away, Basil stopped.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw Something. A flicker of wind, a change of the rain, and suddenly, it was there. He blinked. Once. Twice.

And then, it disappeared, as soon as it came

Basil let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He opened his mouth, trying to find words for a person who didn’t exist anymore. Stuttering incomprehensibly, Basil shut his mouth, deciding to keep quiet and simply muse. He figured it was wrong to speak up. He didn’t have the right to say anything, let alone apologize.

  
And so, he stood in the morning dew, the rain, and the howling wind, taking in his sins. 

Inhaling deeply, Basil found a comfortable position at the base of the stump, and decided to sleep.

* * *

  
It felt like Basil was… falling? He didn’t know how to describe it. It was if he was descending… but not? Was this what zero gravity felt like? This place… it was so quiet and peaceful. He wanted to stay here forever... in this space.

_ Basil. _ _  
_ _  
_ “Gah!” Basil let out a yelp, flailing his arms around, his eyes wide. “Who just said that?! Where am I?!” The voice was booming and fizzling. Like static on a TV screen, it flickered and cracked.

_ Calm down. _

Basil gasped again, the voice was clearer now, unlike before. He turned in the direction of the voice to see--.

“No! N-N-No no no no. Not this dream again. Please!” It… it was  _ Something _ . It was  _ here!  _ It was right there! Basil’s breathing constricted, a crushing pressure surrounded her neck. The figure floated over to Basil, like it was gliding on air. It enveloped Basil in an embrace.

Literally an embrace.

A hug. 

Not a maw ready to consume him, no single-eye spindly  _ thing  _ ready to kill him or Sunny. 

It was just... 

_ Shhhh… Basil… look at me.  _

“M…  _ Mari…!” _

_  
_ _ Listen carefully, okay? I don’t have a lot of time here.  _

“Mari, oh my God. Mari! I’m so sorry.  _ I’m so sorry!” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ It’s okay. I forgive you. _

For the first time, Basil lifted his face completely. His eyes were red, thick with tears and guilt. He sniffled, and wiped his pupils with part of his sleeve. Mustering the sum of his will, Basil looked at Mari and… 

“It’s really you… I can tell.” Basil's voice was so quiet, yet it reverberated across the whole void. “You’re… monochrome?”   
  
_ Heh. Hey, don’t look at me. You’ve gotten a little taller, huh? Just listen for a minute okay? _ _  
_ _  
_ Basil gave a firm nod.

_ Sunny’s in trouble. _ _  
_ _  
_ “Wha--?!”   
  
_ Just wait. He’s stuck in his own mind. He reached out to find someone to help him. Since he’s not dead, he can’t leave. But he can’t  _ give up  _ either. He’s trapped. You need to help him, Basil. _

“Mari… how can  _ I  _ possibly help? How are you even talking to me? How do I know you’re not just some  _ figment!” _

_Factually? Yup. I can’t prove I’m_ not _a figment of your imagination. The only reason I can talk to you at all is because you’re so close to where… you put me._ _Hey! I see that look! Before you start, Basil... I love you so much. I love you how I love Aubrey, Kel, and Hero, okay? Never forget that. You have to stay strong, okay? Promise me. Promise me you’ll stay strong and get to Sunny._

This was so much so fast. How could Mari, (even if it was Basil’s imagination) entrust  _ him  _ to saving someone?! 

_ Because you love him, you dork. _

“Eh--?!”

* * *

It stopped raining.

Huh. Basil blinked, expression deadpan.

He shifted his head to the ground. There was a single flower growing there, one that wasn’t there during the drenching.

A single, white egret orchid.

Basil understood.


	2. but I want to...

Ever so carefully, Basil kneeled next to the flower, pulling out his hand-held shears. He gently plucked the flower from the ground.

“I promise, Mari.”

For the first time in a long while, the skies were clear, and Basil felt a little better. It’s not perfect… but it’s a start. A smile crept up on Basil’s lips. He twirled the tulip in his hands, admiring its beauty and flourish. 

“Ok. Ok… Alright. Let’s go.”

Basil stood up from the stump, pulling hinds arms above his head and hefting out a sigh. 

_ My thoughts will follow you into your dreams. _

That is what the white egret orchid said in flower language. Could this flower… help somehow? As he tiptoed out of Sunny’s home, thoughts bounced and scattered across Basil’s head, trying to find a solution. He walked along the street, sniffing the cool evening air. It was sunny.

Sunny. He needed to get to Sunny.

He needed to get to his house and have Polly drive him to the hospital… but what about everyone else?

This was a dangerous game. A thin line he was walking. He didn’t know if he could tell everyone what happened. After all, he did all of  _ it _ to protect Sunny... So what to do?

_ I don’t know what to do anymore. I-I-I can’t do this. I…  _

**_Promise me you’ll stay strong._ **

...that’s right. He can’t let his anxiety get the better of him now. He has to stay strong. No matter what. No matter how hard it becomes. For Mari. For atonement.

For Sunny… 

Resolved, Basil veered to a detour, with one destination in mind.

The cemetery.

\---

“Oh… I... didn’t know you’d be here.”

Surprisingly, Kel was here. Basil walked in on Kel placing some flowers for her.

“A-Ah. Sorry! I’ll just… come back later…”

“No! No no, stay!”

Kel gently tugged Basil’s arm back towards the stone, Kel giving him a thousand-watt smile all the way.

“Heh. I never knew how you did stuff like that.”

“Eh? Like what?” Oh Kel, you beautiful child.

“Let’s be honest… Y-You changed the least out of all of us. You always have a smile when I see you, Kel. No matter what. Honestly? I’m a little j-jealous…” Basil had a half-lidded, nervous smile, full of fake mirth.

Kel took a moment to ponder Basil’s words. A pregnant pause filled the air. He sat down criss-cross in front of the grave. He frowned, and reached out with his hand, palming the embedded stone.

“...That’s really… not true.” Basil let out a questioning hum and arched an eyebrow.

  
  
“...What?”

“I mean--.” He sighed and took a moment. “The saddest people in the world… are usually the best at hiding it.” Basil inhaled sharply and turned to look at Kel’s blank eyes, glazed with tears.  _ That was too close for comfort.  _ “Sometimes… I feel like I  _ have  _ to smile. Cuz sometimes, no one else will.”

  
  
“Or can,” Basil quipped.

“Yeah…”

“...”

“Y’know, everyone was really worried about you.”

“Wha-- me?”

Kel just laughed at Basil’s surprise. His face full of teasing energy.

“Whadaya’ mean ‘wha-- me?’ Basil, you… you and Sunny were really hurt. I’m not going to ask what you two were fighting about. It doesn’t seem like my place to ask but… you’re…  _ ok…  _ right?”

Oh… so that’s what this was about. Basil kneeled next to Kel’s sitting form and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’m ok. I promise.”

“You swear on your heart?”   
  
“I swear.”

“You swear on  _ Sunny? _ ”

“...”

  
  
“ _ Basil. _ ”

“ _... _ I swear.”

“Good… good.”

For a while, they simply stood there. Millions of conflicting thoughts and emotions crossed their faces as they mourned alone, together. Happiness, sadness, grief, love, hate.

“So,” Kel exclaimed loudly (as per usual) after a while, “Got any other plans today?”

“I’m going to visit Sunny.”

“Really?” Kel looked… worried? “Mind if I come with?”

  
“Yes, actually. I’d rather go… alone.”

“...Alright!” Basil just groaned internally. It was fake cheeriness. What was he up to?

* * *

The car ride was thankfully not one of conversation. Basil simply stuck to staring out the window, his thoughts deep.

What if Sunny was awake? No. Impossible. Basil doubted Sunny would wake up now. Oh no. What if Hero or Aubrey was there? That’d ruin his whole plan. If’s and maybe’s. Hrn... 

“We’re here!”

The car came to a slow stop. Basil opened the door and shivered. Not to cold air, but to himself. The hospital was massive, much more daunting than it meant to be. It’s a place to recover. A place to heal. Regardless, it only brought pain and uncomfortable feelings. What an oxymoron.

The sliding doors unveiled bustling nurses and doctors and that awful, ever present sterilized air.

“I’ll be in the lobby, ok? You take your time…”

“Thanks, Polly.”

Basil awkwardly shuffled over to the receptionist, his steps uncertain.

“E-Excuse me? Could you tell me which room Sunny Suzuki is staying in? I’m a close friend.”  The receptionist stopped his furious typing, looking up at Basil, examining, before quickly turning back to his monitor.

“Room 201, Floor 20.”

He quickly muttered a thank you before making his way to the elevator. Thankfully, no one was in it. He had the whole ride (and annoyingly catchy music) all to himself.  _ Yay.  _

Upon the door opening, Basil was hit with a tsunami of nausea, nearly collapsing from the sudden pressure of the air. He covered his mouth with his hand, swallowing bile.

_ Bleh… _

Basil shuddered in fear when looking up from the floor. Near the end of the hallway, was room 201. Sickly black tendrils of darkness stuck to walls like a parasite. The inky blackness was like a void, sucking in all light that struck it.

Basil poised himself. 

**_Stay strong._ **

It’s okay. Everything is okay.

Basil slowly shuffled along the floor, careful not to come into contact with the dark, inky blotches. He paused for a moment, right outside the room door. Confused, Basil tried to move.

_ Why is this so hard…? I want to see Sunny. So… why am I so… hesitant? Move! Come on! _

With great effort, Basil managed to pry his feet off the ground into the doorway…

And saw Something hovering over Sunny.

…

_Gone._ _It’s gone._

Basil remembered to CALM DOWN.

**Not today.**

Like approaching a dying puppy, Basil ever-so-carefully stood closer to Sunny’s unconscious form. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. His brows were slightly furrowed. His hand nearly tensed into a fist, as if holding something. He would subtlely flinch every few seconds or so.

Ceremoniously, Basil carefully tucked his signature flower in and out of his hair. He took the time to inspect the plant to take it in its detail. He scrutinized the stalk and petals. Satisfied, now knowing it wasn’t bruised, Basil looped the flower into Sunny’s unconscious hair, the head now neatly visible near his ear.

He looked serene. Whatever had been plaguing Sunny, it seemed to abate slightly.

_ I hope that helps, whatever you’re doing. _

Basil grabbed the white egret orchid from his clothes’ pocket. Hesitantly, with a slight blush, he reached up and turned Sunny’s hand up and placed the flower in his hand. Basil gently wrapped Sunny’s hand around it, then placed his own hand on top. 

“I heard… that sometimes coma patients can hear everything around them… even when they’re asleep like this. I wanted to try that.” Basil started quiet but raised his voice a little more.

“Do you remember… all that time ago… we promised that we’ll always be there for each other... No matter what. Well, you better keep that promise. We’re going to get through this together.” Basil used his thumb to caress Sunny’s hand.

Basil sat there in Sunny’s room for some time. He gave quiet assurances to Sunny, and even tried to crack a joke. He gave Sunny updates on what the others were doing.

“I’d like to hope you’ll forgive me for… the eye.”

“...”   
  
“I care for you  _ so much,  _ Sunny. I just want you to be safe.” Basil gave a shy smile. He took his free hand and brushed Sunny’s hair out of his eyes.    


  
“There we are… you look much better now.”

* * *

It felt like… he was falling? But that doesn’t make any sense… he was sitting. Right? 

_ It’s like that dream at the stump _ , Basil airily thought. The world around him was charred black, but was getting brighter and brighter… a gradient? Basil oriented himself, looking down.

Hands. Hundreds of them at least. They were cascading like waves, turning and striking at a black and white dot dashing and striking back.

Sunny.

Basil also came to the realization that it was red. Redder than anything he’d ever seen. It was also completely empty, save for the hands.

Basil came to a second realization. He was still falling. Quite quickly actually. He screamed in terror at the rapidly approaching ground.

With a heavy  _ THUD,  _ Basil crashed into the blank red surface. Both of the combatants paused, one relieved, the other confused.

“Basil…?” Sunny sounded utterly dumbfounded like he was the last person he expected to see. Sunny looked deep in thought before his eyes widened. “She heard…” His voice was nearly silent, but it reverberated across the entire space like a megaphone.

Basil nearly gasped at the state of Sunny. His eye was back, but everything else… 

His outfit was torn open in multiple places. His head had multiple cuts all over, as well as his face. The bow of his violin was drenched in blood, and the violin itself was cracking in some places. His abdomen had deep, long stab wound across it.

“I have a better question,” Basil replied his expression a mix of curiosity and fear. “Who the hell is  _ THAT?!” _

Sunny followed Basil’s eyes to Omori.

Omori, however, looked non worse for wear. His knife was the only thing bloody.

“Ah… him. He’s… me I guess.”

In the distance… Basil swore he heard a violin…   
  


* * *

Play OMORI OST #168 -- “OMORI”   


* * *

“You’re not supposed to be here.” 

Omori’s voice pierced the oppressive atmosphere of White Space. Quick, and hissed like a gunshot

“I banished you… how did you esca--?”

His eyes widened in recognition. This wasn’t the dream version of Basil. This was  _ Basil  _ Basil. The real Basil. “How odd,” he muttered. “You  _ dare  _ walk here? You  _ dare  _ save him?  _ What about Mari? _ ”

“Sunny loved her and you hung her.”

“You loved her and you hung her.”   
  


The Space becam a dark crimson. Overlapping waves of red hands swiped and gashed.

“No… She was already dead. I was twelve… we didn’t know what we were doing.”   


  
Omori turned to Sunny. 

  
“Kel loved her and you killed her. _.” _

“...”

“Aubrey loved her and you killed her.”

“ ..no. ”

“Hero loved her and you killed her.”

“... stop.”

“ _ Basil  _ loved her and you killed her!”

“STOP!”

“Sunny! You have to stay strong! Don’t give up!”

_ “You LOVED HER and you KILLED HER!” _

“PLEASE STOP!”

Sunny collapsed, his will finally broken. He was ready to give in, to just  _ let go _ of everything. He didn’t want to deal with these memories anymore. He didn’t want to deal with losing all of his friends when he woke up. He didn’t want to be responsible for Basil’s death. He didn’t want to wake up. He didn’t want to deal with feeling like this anymore. He didn’t want to feel  _ at all  _ anymore. He just wanted…   


  
“I want everything to stop. I just wanna fall asleep.”

He dropped his violin, a deafening CLANG echoed across the entirety of White Space. It disappeared shortly after touching the ground.

“NO! Sunny!”

Basil sprinted to where Sunny collapsed to his knees. His form was shaky, uncertain. His hands and feet started to dissipate at the tips. Omori looked on, his expression displaying utter disinterest.

Basil kneeled next to him and cupped his face, forcing Sunny to look Basil in the eyes. Both of their pupils were glassy with tears.

“Sunny...  _ please  _ you have to stay strong! You can’t leave. You can’t give up! Not now! You promised we  _ would do everything together! We have to face this together!” _

“I can’t…” His voice was completely dejected. Emotionless.

“No…you  _ can…” _

Sunny’s face showed some emotion, his eyes arched in slight surprise. He expected Basil to continue on with his pleas.

“Sunny… I figured it out…”

  
  
“...?”

  
  
“Before all else… Before we face these demons… You have to forgive  _ yourself.” _

“I can’t!”

The rest of his body was beginning to dissipate. It was slow at the hands and feet, but now it was speeding up. His hands and feet became transparent, and his torso started to flake. Bits and pieces of Sunny began flying off of him, as if he was turning to dust.   


  
“YOU CAN!”   
  


Sunny stared into Basil’s eyes. His voice was hoarse from underuse and shouting. He just wanted to sleep. He didn’t  _ deserve  _ forgiveness. 

“...I can’t forgive myself. But…”

  
“...But?”

“... _ But I want to.” _

_ OMORI took 100000 damage! _

_  
_ _  
_ Omori, who had been watching on with emtionenless detachment, fell to the ground in pain. Excruciating burning etched his entire body. He dropped the knife, and he held both of his hands to his heart, as if burned. 

The hands of White Space all retracted into the floor. The redness and horrific imagery subsiding. The regular calm of white had returned.

“Sunny… I think you took the first step.” Basil was breathless and in disbelief. 

“Hah…” It came out as a laugh but ended as a sigh. Sunny cracked a smile for the first time in four years. His eyes were manic with happiness…

  
  
“We took the first step,” they said together.

Sunny took both of Basil’s ands and spun them around. They laughed and cried and laughed and cried. After a few moments, they both fell to the ground, their faces full of relief and free of guilt. Hand in hand, they enjoyed the quiet of White Space… one last time.

“Before we go…”

Basil pasued and looked to gaze at Sunny.

  
  
“Yeah?”

“You… you meant what you said right? That’d we face anything together?”

  
  
“I meant what I said at the base of the staircase, and I mean it now.”

In that moment. Both Sunny and Basil thought they heard something. Or someone.

“..nny!”   
  
“B…sil!”   
  
“Sun...y!”

  
  
The sound was coming from all around them. Someone was calling for them.

  
  
“We’re waking up,” Sunny said. He was all too familiar with the feeling.

“You ready?” Basil turned to Sunny and smiled.

“…Let’s get the hell out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may have realized that there's still one more chapter left.
> 
> *(laughs in dracula)*
> 
> p.s. --
> 
> doubtless many of you realized I used "Suzuki" as a surname for Sunny. Just to be clear, I didn't come up with this name. As far as I'm aware, it belongs to WintersBeautyPolaris who wrote "Puberty Is A Bitch Ain't It, Sunny Suzuki?" 
> 
> It just has a nice ring to it.


End file.
